My swing has become steadily worse in the last three weeks. Although it feels as if my swing is perfectly fine, I'm either pulling the ball to the left or the ball starts out straight but curls off badly to the left due to an out of control draw.

The solution was simple. The pro took one look at how I was addressing the ball and perceived the slight flaw immediately: my club head was closed. All I had to do was open the club face slightly more so that the front edge of the club lies perpendicular to my stance, e.g. the line connecting the front of my two feet.

As it turns out, the pro molded my stance with some slight tweaks which also helped me hit the ball more consistently straight, namely the following:

don't bend the knees so much and stand up straighter

push the buttocks back slightly

hold the hips in position and rotate shoulders slightly so that they are aligned with the stance, and thusly aiming at the target

What a great pleasure it is being able to hit the ball straight and pure again. I guess I won't give up golf after all.

I have a favorite Benross three wood which when I hit it flush can strike the ball so perfectly that I can attain distances nearly as far as with my driver. The five wood I have is also really nice.

There I was at the driving range happily slamming one ball after the other with that famous three wood. Each ball I hit better and it went farther. I felt like my body and mind were energized with some hidden force. I was completely without thought in a state of mind that couldn't be stopped no matter what.

I was snapped abruptly out of this euphoric mood when the club shaft broke just below the grip. In slow motion, the head of the club stopped in mid air, its weight magically balanced with the remaining shaft, rotating in mid-air along the axis defining the new center of mass.

The rotating length wobbled frantically in the air as it fell back to earth sliding just past my left ear, the jagged end of the shaft nearly penetrating my neck.

It all happened so quickly. As I held my follow through up high where it belong, I was frozen longer than usual at the finish, in shock and thinking whew that was a close one.

After I realized that I had barely survived near death on the driving range, I felt intense sadness that my dear, poor three wood had broken and was no more.

Turns out that in order to repair the shaft it'll cost me almost as much as buying a new wood. This one is no longer available, meaning that if I'd have to buy a later version which would no longer match my five wood.

For the time being I purchased a second-hand three wood as a temporary substitute until I find a better one. Who knows, if it works out I may just keep using it forever.